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Strong performance Robin
Frijns during Caterham F1 test

SAKHIR - Robin Frijns had a
strong test for the Caterham F1 Team. The talented Dutchman covered nearly
seventy laps in the new CT05 on the Bahrain International Circuit. Test and
reserve driver Frijns could work on an extensive program.

Robin Frijns: "We've obviously made
quite a lot of progress since Jerez and having finished the day with 68 laps, a
lot more than the other Renault powered teams, I think everyone can be quite
pleased with how this test has started.

"For me it's still too early to really tell how quick the car is because
we haven't yet started running anywhere near full performance levels, but
overall it feels ok. I wasn't getting a lot of grip from the back end to begin
with but we made a few changes to the aero balance and by the end of the
session it was starting to come together, especially on the mediums which we
tried in the afternoon - the grip levels on those was much better and I could
really start to push on that set.

"That's my last day in the car before the season starts and I'm happy to
finish in the car in Bahrain with that mileage completed. I'm enjoying being
part of this team - they all know what they have to do to start pushing up the
grid, and being part of that is good."

Robin Frijns reserve driver at Caterham

Caterham F1 Team and Caterham Racing have confirmed
their 2014 driver line-ups with the announcement that Kamui Kobayashi and
Marcus Ericsson will race in Formula One in the forthcoming season, with Robin Frijns
and Alexander Rossi as F1 team Reserve Drivers.

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal and CEO, Caterham F1
Team: "Robin is another new addition to our driver roster and he comes to
us as one of the most highly-rated talents around - just look at how he
dominated the two Renault-backed series he competed in during the 2012 and 2013
seasons for clear evidence of that. He won Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 in 2011,
recording five wins that year, and then he won Formula Renault 3.5 in 2012,
putting three more victories on the board. He has raw pace and impressed our
engineers enormously with the sessions he's completed in our simulator - put
simply, he has the talent to go right to the top of our sport. He will be our
Reserve at all races where Alexander is focused on GP2 and he will have a
number of F1 runs throughout the year, immersing him in the F1 team and helping
him develop his understanding of what it takes to operate at the top
level."

Robin Frijns: "I am more than happy that Caterham
and Renault have given me the chance to be in Formula One in 2014. Nowadays
it's rare to find an F1 team that will put so much trust in a young driver like
me, but during the negotiations I had a very strong feeling that the team
really believes in me, which I couldn't appreciate more! This was one of the
main reasons why Caterham has been my number one priority for quite a while and
I am so thankful that it worked out.

"There are many good reasons to believe that
Caterham will be moving up the grid in the next few years and I feel that every
member of the team is strongly committed and really working hard to make that
happen. Also, when I visited the factory for the first time, I saw that the
working atmosphere in Leafield is very positive, which gave me a good feeling
right away. My personal goal for this season is to help the team as much I can
and also gain valuable experience to make sure that I can establish myself in
the team and in F1. I am sure that we will have many great years
together."

Frijns terminates management agreement
with WHS International

Robin Frijns has terminated his management
agreement with the German agency WHS International with immediate effect.

Robin Frijns: “After careful consideration
I have come to the conclusion that it will be the best for me and my career to
make some management changes. Unfortunately, my career is somehow stuck now and
I hope that these changes will help me to do some important steps forward. I
have not yet decided who will look after the sporting side of my career from
now on, but I will do this very soon.”

Robin Frijnsmakes management
changes

FormerSauber
reserve driver Robin Frijns
has made changes to
his management team in a bid torevive his Formula
1 hopes.
The reigningFormula
Renault 3.5 championsigned
up as Sauber'sthird
driver at the end of last year,
but that
agreement has cometoan
end in the wake of the team's
Russian investment which
is likelyto
lead toSergeySirotkinracingforit
in 2014. Frijns
has also
made 12 starts in GP2 thisyear
- including
a victory
in just
his third
race – but he has been in and
out of the Hilmer
Motorsport line-up dueto
a lack
of budget.

He has nowjoinedforceswith
Dutch company Just Sports
Marketing in a bid to
boost his chances
of landing sufficientfundingtoincrease
his appeal to
F1 and
GP2 teams. "I feel this
is a good
step," saidFrijns,
who
has drivenforSauberand
Red Bull in the last twoFormula
1 young
driver tests. "Aftersomeeventful
weeks I am
happy that
we are moving
forwards againanddoors
are opening. "I want to
focus on my
performance in the caranditgives
me comfort thatmy
management is reinforced
in this
way." Following
the restructure,
Frijns's
manager Werner Heinz willremainresponsiblefor
the "sporting
side" of his career.

Strong test for Robin FrijnswithSauber
F1 Team

Wednesday
in Silverstonesaw the Sauber
F1 Team test and
reserve driver Robin Frijns
on track. The 21-year old
Dutchman is prettyfamiliarwith
the Sauber
F1 Team, as well as the Silverstone
circuit, havingracedtherenumeroustimes.
Afterdriving
a FormulaOnecarfor
the first time last year
at the Young Driver Days in Abu Dhabi, this
is his second test with
the team. The GP2 driver experienced
perfect weatherconditionsandcovered 72 laps
at Silverstonetoday.

Robin
Frijns:“It
was quite a busy day. We startedwithsomeaero tests thismorninganddid a lot of installationlaps. In the afternoon we lost a bit of
track time, but the crew sorted the carquitequickly. I was continuously in the carfrom 2.30pm until the end of the session. It was my first time driving a FormulaOnecar on a high-speed
track, as the Yas Marina circuit
is a bit slower. It’s fun at such high speed and I gotusedtoitquitequickly. Maggotts, BeckettsandChapel are always a bit difficult, so I had toadapttothat, which went quite well at the end.
I drove a lot of laps on the hard tyres, whichfeltcomfortable. With the medium tyres I didn’t feel as comfortableyet, sothat is something I stillneedtowork on. At the end
of the day we did a lot of mileageandtested a lot of things. Workingwith the team was goodfun. The boys are quitefast.”

Robin Frijns takes maiden GP2-victory!

BARCELONA – Robin Frijns has claimed
his debut
GP2 win as the Series returns to
Europe, claimingvictory
in the feature race in Barcelona byutilising a sharp
get awayand
smart race strategyto
lead home a fastcharging
Felipe Nasr andJolyon
Palmer. Poleman
Marcus Ericsson made a super start when the lights went out toeasily
lead his rivalsaway,
whilebehindhim
Sam Bird was notsosharp
off the line: FabioLeimerpushedleftaroundhim
but James Calado
was alreadythere,
and
the inevitable
contact pushed
the pair backwards
as Frijnsgot
off the gas andfollowed
Bird into
turn onebehind
Ericsson, StefanoColetti,
Nasr and
Stéphane Richelmi.
Lap 6 was the first time the pitlaneopenedforfreshtyres,
andFrijns
(P9), Palmer (P11) and
Alexander Rossi (P14) jumped
in to
take advantage of the fresh
air behind.
Ericsson, Bird and
Jon Lancaster wereforcedtorespond
next time by,
with
the Swede’s
stop slow enoughto
drop him
back into
the pack and
Bird re-emergingjustbehindFrijns,
anearlyindication
of the Dutchman’s
speed, whileColettiand
Nasr had littlechoice
but to
stop next time by.

Frijnscontinuedtohead
the already-stopped
field, with
Palmer, Bird, andColetticirculating
right behind,
andfinallyclaimed
the overall lead on lap 28 when
Evans eventuallypitted.
But out in front Frijns
was supreme,
delightedtobeableto
pull awayfrom
the war behindhimto
win by
3.3 secondsfrom
Nasr.

Robin commented: “First of all, I didnotexpect
it. I had a tough
race in Bahrain,
havingtolearn
the tyres.
I had big troubles
in Bahrain.
I learnedquite
a lot there.
Everybodyknowsthat
Barcelona is quite
a hard track on the tyres
as well. But I managedthemquite
well andleft
a pretty
decent gap to
Palmer the whole
race andthen
Nasr came
back and
he was quitequick.
I still
had sometyresleftso
I could
pull away
a bit. That’show
I won. It’s a greatresultfor
the team. Theyworkpretty
hard. Hopefullythere
is more coming.”

StefanoColetti
has claimed
his second win of the seasonwith
a mature
drive after
a storming
start for
a dominant victory
in the sprint race in Barcelona, controlling the pace all the way to
lead home Robin Frijnsand
Felipe Nasr. The win was set up at the start: poleman Johnny Cecotto
made a decent getaway
but Coletti’s was even better,
gettingalongside
the front man ahead
of turn onebeforegoingall
the way round
the outsidefor
the lead. Behindthem
Tom Dillmannstalled,
but Frijnssnuckinsidewhile
his rivalstripped
over eachother,
giving
the Dutchman a clear
run to
the first corner. Out in front Coletti had eased his pace from
a gap of over 4 secondsto
lead home yesterday’svictorFrijnsby
0.6 seconds
at the line, with
Nasr on the podium again
7 secondsbehindthem.
Palmer had a quiet
run tofourthplace,
withCecotto
the next man tosee
the chequeredflagjustahead
of Rossi, Ceccon,
Abt andFabioLeimer.

Robin Frijns: “At the start I
went to
the right andovertookeverybodyand
had a god at Rossi in the first corner round the outside.
He is always
a good
driver to
race against.
I like
the guy.
Then,
I triedto
push forColetti
in the first lap. We had the same
speed, but I was killingmy
front leftso
I left
a gap foraboutfourseconds,
takingit
easy andjustwaitedfor
the final
five laps.
When
I startedto
push, I was closing
in quitefastand
I sawhimstrugglewith
the rear
a bit. He was pushing
as well. He told
me thatand
I was hopingthat
his tyreswould
go away.
Maybe
I waitedtoo
long beforestartingto
push. I don’tknow…”

“I’veenjoyedmyselfthis
weekend yes. I have tothank
Franz Hilmerforgiving
me the opportunity to
drive here.
Ifitwasn’tforhim,
I wouldnotbehere.
As for
Monaco, I don’t
have high hopestherebecauseColetti,
Leimer,
they
have much
more experience
on that
track. I onlyracedoncethereand
I didnot
even finish the race. I’ll
do the best I canandhopefully
score some
points, but I don’tseemyself
winning. The plan is tobethere.”

Robin Frijnstomake
GP2-debut

Hilmer Motorsport have confirmedthat
Dutch ace Robin Frijnswill
race withthemthis
week in the second round
of the 2013 GP2 Series season
at Bahrain
International Circuit. Frijns
had previouslytestedduring
the pre-seasonandshowed
a lot of promise.
He will
have toadjustquicklyto
the carhavingtolearn
the track in the thirty
minute free practicesession
on Friday.

Team Principal Franz Hilmersaid: "We are very happy to
have Robin in ourcar
in Bahrain
in and
we hope that
we can
do the wholeseasontogether.
I wouldliketothank
his manager Werner Heinz and
of course MonishaKaltenbornwhobothhelped
make this
happen. We will
do everything
we canto
help Robin get comfortable
in the carand
get the chance tobe
in the front of the grid.”

Robin Frijnstestdriverat
Sauber F1 Team

Robin Frijnsisgoingtobethe
Sauber F1 Team’snewtestandreservedriver.
The 21-year old
Dutchman also startedhiscareer
in karting.
In 2008 he enteredsingleseaterracing,
improvedconstantlyandwent
on towintheFormula
BMW Europe title in 2010 bytakingsixracewins.
Oneyearlater
he tookthe
title in theFormula
Renault Eurocup beforegoing
on towinthe
title in thehighlycompetitiveFormula
Renault 3.5 Series in 2012.

“Monitoring Robin’sracingcareer“,
saidKaltenborn,
“makesit
easy tospothispotential.
This was thereasonwegavehimthechancetodrivethe
Sauber C31-Ferrari atthe
Young Driver Days in Abu Dhabi. He managedthisverywell.
We
will nowcarefullyguidehimtoFormulaOne.
This is
a longway,
but Robin hasgottheskillsto
do thatsuccessfully.”

Robin Frijnssaid: “I'mvery
happy the
Sauber F1 Team hasgivenmethisopportunity.
I wouldliketothankMonishaKaltenbornand
Peter Sauber fortheir
belief andtrust
in mebysigningmetojointheirteamas
a testandreservedriver.
Withthisopportunity
I will trytohelptheteamasmuchaspossibleandgetthechancetolearnhowFormula
1 works
in an extremely
professional environment.
I am alreadyverymuchlookingforwardtogettingthe
2013 seasonstartedandworkingtogetherwiththeteam.”

Great
opportunity Robin Frijns
in Red Bull RB8

ABU DHABI - The final day of the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi saw
Robin Frijns
at the wheel of the RB8. Robin earned his place in the cockpit by virtue of
winning this year’s Formula Renault 3.5 series and he grabbed the opportunity
with both hands. The Dutchman’s morning was spent on aero work but in the
afternoon, around some mechanical testing, there was time for some performance
runs and the talent from Limburg
ended the day with a lap of 1:43,233. That left him fourth on the
timesheet, just under six tenths off pacesetting GP2 champion DavideValsecchi.

Of his
efforts Robin said: “It was a long day and we tested a lot on the car. I think
I did a good job for the team and team worked hard with me so I’m pleased with
how it all went.

“In the
morning I was driving a little in cruise control as we were doing some aero
work and the team needed accurate data with the flow-vis. In the afternoon
there was some mechanical work, which was good and I think the team gathered a
lot of useful data.

“I’d like
to thank Renault for the opportunity to come to Red Bull Racing for this test
in the RB8,” he added. “It’s the quickest car at the moment, so it was a real
pleasure to drive for them today. Thanks also to Red Bull Racing for giving me
this opportunity to drive the car.”

Frijns
excited about first Sauber
Formula One test

ABU DHABI - Robin Frijns had a succesfull
first day of testing at the Yas
Marina Circuit in Abi
Dhabi on Tuesday. He tested the Sauber C31 to the satisfaction of
the terrific and extraordinarySwissFormula One team.

GiampaoloDall’Ara
(Head of Track Engineering): “We had a good day with Robin. He did fine.
Physically he coped well and also, for his age, gave us good feedback. The
mileage is a lot and the lap time is also good. We started with hard tyres
and did some aero work in the morning before actually working on his lap time.
Towards the end of the day we gave him an idea of different tyre compounds and
went with a set of medium and a set of soft. But we never sent him out with a
qualifying fuel level.”

Robin Frijns:
“Gosh this was hard work! Not in the beginning but then suddenly I felt it,
especially from the brakes. I am really tired now and know I have to go and
exercise more. In the morning we started with installation laps so that I could
get used to the car and the steering wheel, which isn’t that easy. In the
afternoon I found it hard to understand the tyre compounds. I had
only driven on Michelin tyres
before, and with the Pirelli medium and soft compounds it was difficult for me
after only one lap. I had the feeling the more careful I handled them the worse
it became. There is obviously a lot to learn. On my fastest lap with the soft tyres
I made a mistake, so there was more to come. The team did a great job during
the day and I want to thank them for that.”

Robin Frijns celebrates
Renault World Series title

BARCELONA - The joy was
great for Robin Frijns
at the Circuit de Catalunya
in Spain on Sunday. In a breathtaking race the 21-year-old driver of Fortec
Motorsport won the spectacular World Series by Renault (WSR).

"This is unbelievable",
the blissfully happy Frijns
stammered. "All my family and friends were here. The Fortec team deserve a
big compliment. They have done a great job this year, the team members
earn the title as much as I do. They have always been there for me
and a driver is as good as his team after all. I would like to
thank everyone of the crew. I would also like to thank Renault for giving
me the chance to move on to the Formula Renault 3.5L. The events of the
World Series by Renault and all its racing disciplines, such as
Formula Renault 2.0L, the Mégane
Trophy, Clio Cup, Formula Renault 3.5L and F1 demonstrations, are all
superb public events."

In a thrilling final Frijns
finished in seventh place after he had been the fourth fastest in
qualifying. Jules Bianchi, the other main title contender, had
already retired after a touche
with Frijns. The
Dutchman tried to outbrake the Frenchman
in the Repsoil
corner in a valiant effort to recover the position that he had
lost to Bianchi the lap before.

After Bianchi's failure, the
championship had been decided in Frijns' favour
and he continued his race conservatively in order to make sure he
would see the chequered
flag. The fact that he got overtaken by Arthur Pic in
the closing stages didn't matter anymore.

A day earlier, Frijns, who was
five points behind Bianchi before the weekend had started, had
already greatly increased his title chances. During the first race he
came in third at the Formula One circuit near Barcelona (after having
clocked the sixth fastest time in qualifying) while Bianchi came in
seventh. As a result, Frijns started Sunday's race as the
championship leader with a four points advantage over Bianchi.

Frijns'
statistics in the Formula Renault World Series are impressive. He earned 189
points, three race wins, three pole positions and one fastest lap. Moreover,
the rapid racing driver is the first ever to win three single seater
classes consecutively. In the previous two seasons he won
the Formula BMW and Formula Renault NEC 2.0 titles. "Robert Kubica
was the first rookie to claim the title in the WSR. I'm glad I've
also succeeded winning this prestigious title in my rookie
year!"

Rain
at Paul Ricard
causes chaos

Robin Frijns
and the Fortec
Motorsport Formula 3.5 squad, part of the prestigious World Series by Renault
package, were back out on track this weekend in their penultimate round at the
French track of Paul Ricard.
Robin Frijns
and team-mate Carlos Huertas
put in credible performances, however after suffering with tyre issues, due to
the wet weather, Frijns
now sits second in the points table – only five points adrift of new leader
Jules Bianchi.

The
morning’s qualifying session was red-flagged due to a downpour at the start of
the session; however minutes later the sun came out and after an inspection by
the race director it was deemed safe enough to go back out on track. The
session was restarted 20-minutes later. With 18-minutes left on the clock, Fortec’s
Robin Frijns
set the fastest lap of the session, however Nick Yelloy was pushing
hard and soon after posted his flying lap time. Frijns consistently
traded lap times throughout and showed the pace the car had by being at the top
of the times throughout the session. The end of the morning’s qualifying ended
seeing Frijns
starting in second on the grid for the afternoons race.

The
start of race one saw tricky weather conditions, although with no rain there
were dark clouds looming overhead making tyre decisions
crucial. As the lights went out Dutchman Frijns made a good
start and soon found himself challenging for the race lead. However the start
also proved to be a good one for Tech 1 Racing’s Jules Bianchi, who stormed
ahead to take second from Frijns
who then dropped down into third. The team had gone for a dry set-up taking the
gamble that the track would dry out, but it was taking longer than first
thought and some aggressive driving from Frijns saw his tyres
wear quickly. It was soon clear the race wasn’t to go the 21-year-olds way
when, with 12-minutes left of the race, rain fell on the track and a loss of
traction saw Frijns
drop down the field and cross the line in seventh.

The
second qualifying session of the weekend finally saw some dry weather and
Dutchman Robin Frijns
qualify eighth. It was another wet race for the FR 3.5 guys as rain fell at the
French circuit, leaving the field no other option but to put wets on. Frijns
had a great start and as Nico
Muller who had started third on the grid slid down the pack, the Fortec
racer took advantage of the situation powering up the field, slotting into
fifth behind Antonio Felix da
Costa and in front of Nick Yelloly.

Yelloly
was hot on Frijns tail and by lap two had pushed passed the Dutchman to take
fifth, leaving Frijns in sixth. Frijns continued to push hard but as the race
continued, the rain claimed many victims as cars spun off track and into the
gravel. The conditions made the race hard work as all the drivers fought
against the spray and concentrated on staying on track. Frijns was eighth as he
made his way to the pits for the compulsory pitstop, with the team going for a
four-wheel change instead of two due to heavy wearing. Despite the new rubber
Frijns couldn’t hunt down the race leaders and crossed the line in ninth.

The
weekend’s results see Frijns
drop to second in the title hunt, but with just five points separating him from
leader, Jules Bianchi, the championship win is still all to play for.

The
final round of the World Series by Renault takes place on the 20th/21st of
October at the Spanish circuit of Catalunya.

Robin
Frijnsmaintains
lead in championship

The summer
break is over for
the Formula
Renault 3.5 Series guysandthis
weekend theyreturnedto
action at Silverstonealongside
the FIA World Endurance
Championship event. Rainbroughthavocto
the first race of the daywithonly
11 of the initial
26 carsthatstarted
the race finishing. Fortec
driver Dutchman, Robin Frijnskept
cool, calmandcollected
a second place.

There
was water in the air right before
the start of race 1, but with
the sunlooming
the carswere
sent out on slicks. However,
the weatherquicklychangedwithdarkcloudsappearing,
andby
the end of the startinglightsrain
was pouring
down on the Northampton circuit.

Frijns,
whorecentlyturned
21, started
P2 on the grid,
however
the rainproveddifficulttocontendwithwhilst
on slick tyres,
whichcausedFrijnstowheel
spin on his getaway
as he lost grip. He slipped
back behind
Jules Bianchiwho
had started
in P4, whilstpolesitter
Kevin Magnussencharged
on tryingtowiden
his lead. The rainhowever
was toquickly
catch its
first victim
as Magnussen
span on track at Beckettsand
hit the wall,
causinghimtoretirefrom
the race.

"I made a bad start, there
was verylittle
grip as the rain
had beguntocome
down heavilyand
I ended
up justwheel
spinning," commentedFrijns.
"AfterseeingMagnussencome
off I was thenjustconcentratingto
keep the car
on the track."

With
the combination
of wet weatherand
slick tyres,
mayhem
was certainly
the right word todescribewhat
was unfolding
up ahead.
In total
8 carswerecaughtby
the wet track and
span off, leaving
a red flag
as the only
safe option toenable
a clear
up of the track. Under red flagallcarswerebought
back to
the start gridwhere
teams wereallowedtowork
on the carsuntil
the 5-minute board, givingthemvital
time to
make some
last minute changes.

After
a brief stop the carsweresoon
back out on track behind
the safetycarandHuertasandFrijnswere
holding theirownfocusing
on staying
out of trouble.
After
3 laps
the safetycar
was called
back in andFrijns
made a storminggetawaychasing
Jules Bianchifor
first place.
Frijns
had a good
lap after
the safetycarand
was closing
in on Bianchiuntil
contact on corner 15 let Bianchiextend
his lead. Frijns
was chasing
hard but with
the dangerousconditions
the young
Dutch man knew
he neededto
focus on defending
his position
in order toextend
his championship
lead.

Commentingafter
his 2nd place
finish, Frijnssaid:
"The weatherplayedhavocwith
the race but it
made interesting
- itwasn't
easy but that'sracingand
I likeit!
Bianchidroveaway
but I tookit
easy to
keep the car
on track as I wanted
points towards
the championshipandtomaintainmy
top spot."

Takingplace on a dry track, the second andfinal
race of the weekend saw
Robin Frijnsmaintain
his lead in the championship.
Frijns
made a great
start from
3rd on the grid,
overtaking
Frenchman Jules Bianchiandgoing
straight into
P2. However
the success
was short lived
as Sam Bird whostarted
in P5 found an
opening andsnuck
past before
the end of the first lap, overtakingFrijnsandsnatching
P2.

For Frijns,
currentchampionship
leader, the race was notto
go in his favourwhendespite
his strong start he flat-spotted
his tyres
on lap 6. As the race went on, the vibrationsfrom the tyresresulted
in damageto
the suspension, withthisand
a loss
of grip itsaw
the young
Dutchman slip down the field to
11th place
in the space
of a few turns.
After
the front-runner sufferedfrom
a puncture,
Frijns
was abletogain
2 placesand
cross the finish line in 9th.

Despite
the unfortunatecircumstancesFrijinsremainedpositive:
"Although
the race result
was disappointing
I amvery
happy aboutstillleading
the championship.
It's racingandthat's
the nature
of the sport - anythingcan
happen!"

Robin Frijnscommented:
"I amlooking
forward to
Hungary but need
a few daystorecoverfromthis
weekend! It's a great
circuit and
I can'twaittoseewhat
the race brings
- I'llbeworking
hard topreparemyselfandtoextendmy
lead in the championship.”

Saturday
Robin Frijns
had a good
race, chasing
down Nico
Muller. Towards
the end of the race Robin was onMuller'stail,
finishing in 3rd. Robin explains:
“I didn’tgetoffto
a good
start, tosay
the least.
Butafterthat,
the race went well.
We have the carto
win and
I was fasterthanNico
[Müller],
buthedefendedhispositionperfectly
without making
the slightestmistake.
I’m
top of the championshiptonight,
butallI’m
thinking aboutnow
is qualifyingwelltomorrowandgetting
a goodresult.”

Sunday
Robin Frijnsscoredhisfirstpoleposition,
having
had a fantasticqualifying
time of 1m 39.991s. A lap record: “I’mnotreally
at my
best in the morningbutmycar’ssogoodthatit’s
a realpleasureto
drive. We’vegoteverythingperfectly
set up andwe’veoptimisedour
level of performance. I just
have tomake
a good
start as that’s
been myweak
point sofar.
Being
in the championshipleaddoesn’tchangemyapproach.”

The driversalllined
up withslicktyreson
a track that
was damp in parts.
Unfortunately
Robin didn't
have a great
start, withSorensen
in second,
tryingto
keep Bianchiand
Sam Bird at bay.
The safetycarcame
out for
5 laps,
with
Robin leading
the pack. By
the time the race restarted
the track was very
wet, Robin battledwith
Sam Bird throughout
the race, including
the pit stopsfinally
finishing in 5th placebehind
Sam Bird.

After
the weekend Robin is in joint 1st place of the Drivers Standing alongside
Sam Bird. Thereforeheearns
a prizedemonstration
run in a 2010 Red Bull RB6 Formula
1 car
at the next
World Series by
Renault meeting in Russia.
The Dutchman
has earned
the outingforbeing
the highestplaceddrivernotassociatedwithone
of Red Bull's
F1 rivals
at the mid-point
of the FR 3.5 season.

"It's
a hugeopportunitytobeabletotake
the wheel
of a worldchampionship-winningFormulacar,
anditwillbemyfirstexperience
of F1," saidFrijns.
The 20-year-old willget
25 minutes
of track time on
the Friday of the meeting at MoscowRaceway
(July
13-15) togetacclimatisedto
the car.
He willthenperformhis
demo run after
the first
race the followingday.

DNF for Robin FrijnsafterimpressiveMonaco-debut

Robin Frijns was forcedtoretire
the race in Monaco with
a pneumatic
pump problem.
Team-mateHuertas
made itto
the podium butit
was notsuch
a straightforward
race for
Robin Frijns.
The Dutchman,
whoarrived
at the Monaco circuit as the championship
leader, was extremelyimpressivethroughoutpracticeandqualifying,
takingfifthplaceon
the gridfor
the 45-minute race. After
a faultlessgetaway,
Frijnssufferedslightdamagetohis
front wingwhenCarlin
racer Kevin Magnussen
hit the wall
at SteDévotebut
the Fortec
racer continued,
movinghisway
up tofourthplaceandshowcasingstunningpaceonhisfirst
ever visitto
the principality.
Robin was howeverleftwonderingwhatmight
have been after
a pneumatic
pump issue forcedhimtoretirefrom
the race on
lap ninebuthe
was nonethelessencouragedbyhispaceand
performance and
is nowlookingaheadto
the next
race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps
in just
a few days'
time.

The nextrounds
of the World Series by
Renault seasontakeplace
at Spa-Francorchamps,
June
2-3.

Robin Frijnstook
a dominant victory
in the secondFormula
Renault 3.5 race of the World Series by Renault weekend at Motorland

Frijnsqualifiedthirdfortoday’s
race after
a last-gaspeffort
in thismorning’squalifyingsession.
Double pole-sitter
Arthur Picgotawaypoorly,
falling
down the order, while
Sam Bird foundhisway
past Frijns
at the start totakesecondplace.
The Fortec
star was hot on
the heels
of second-placed
Bird, executing
a classyovertakeon
lap sixto
move up tosecond
as hebegantohunt
down Marco Sorensenfor
the lead.
An
issue for
the Lotus driveron
lap ten sawFrijnsinherit
the lead
as the crowd
was deniedwhatlooked
set tobe
a close battlebetween
the pair. Fromthenon,
victoryfor
the 20-year-old neverlooked
in doubt;
the Eurocupchampion’scompulsorypitstop
was faultless,
and,
once
back on
track, the Dutchman
was in a league of hisown,
building animpressive
gap over Sam Bird. Robin eventuallycrossed
the linejustunder
ten secondsclear
of the Britontotakevictory
in onlyhissecond
ever Formula
Renault 3.5 race and
the lead
in the drivers’
standings.

Robin was delightedwithhisvictory:
“We had a lot of problems
in yesterday’squalifyingsessionbut
the team did
a great
job toimproveand
the car
was fantastic
in yesterday’s
race. Today,
we didn’t
have any
issues with
the car
in qualifying
– we put ittogetherandgot
a strongresult.
I was running in secondwhen
Marco had a problem
- I don’tknowwhat
the problem
was butit
was a shame
as I think
we would
have had a goodbattleandonce
I was out in front it
was quite
easy for
me. To
win here
in onlymysecond
race feelsgreat
– I’mreally
happy. Lookingaheadto
Monaco, I’m
thinking of it
as a learning
procedure; I’veneverraced
nor even watched
a race theresoif
I get
a top-five
finish thereI’llbevery
happy.”

Aftertwo
races, Robin Frijnsleads
the drivers’
championshipwith
37 points,
twelvepointsclear
of race one
winner Nick Yelloly.
The next
race on
the Formula
Renault 3.5 calendartakesplace
in Monaco over the FIA FormulaOne
weekend, May 26-27.

Frijns
has anoutstanding
proven racing
pedigree; heenjoyed
a fantasticseason
in 2011, takingfivewinsonhisjourneytotitlevictory
in a remarkably
consistent seasonfor
the Dutchman,
whofinished
in the top fiveforevery
race of his
2011 campaign.
Robin eventually
won the titleby
45 pointsfromCarlosSainz
Junior, provingthathe
has exactlywhatittakestoprogress
up the motorsport ladder.

The 20-year-old testedwith
the Fortecsquad
at Motorland
in November, making
the step up to
the Formula
Renault 3.5 carwithrelativeease,
showcasinghisunquestionable
talent andmeshingwellwith
the Fortec
team.

Formula
Renault 3.5 Team Manager Jamie Dye is delightedto
have Robin with
the team for
2012, "Robin has always
been onetowatch
- hisconsistencythroughout
the 2011 season
was phenomenalandhe's
proven himselftobe
the complete package.
We'reabsolutelydelightedto
have himwithusfor
2012 andhe
has shownthathethoroughlydeserves
a place
in the Formula
Renault 3.5 series. We'reverymuchlookingforwardtoworkingwith
Robin andwe'reconfidentthatbothheandCarloswillbestrongcontendersthisseason."

Renault Sport Sporting
Manager EmmanuelEsnaultalsoexpressedhispleasurethat
Robin is moving
up toFormula
Renault 3.5 withFortec
: "We are all
happy tosee
Robin joiningFortec
Motorsport forhismaidenseason
in the Formula
Renault 3.5 Series and
we are proudtoobservethat
the prize
money of €500.000 offeredto
the EurocupFormula
Renault 2.0 Winner allowhimtomake
concrete the step forward
in ouruniquestairwayto
F1. We wishhimall
the best."

The Formula
Renault 3.5 seasonbegins
at Motorland,
Aragon
in Spain May 5-6.